Root Unlock and unbrand

[Boopolo]

Hey guys, i know its another one of those threads but despite reading up on this so so so many times and on different websites, i am finding it really difficult to understand. So if someone can answer that would be great.

I have an o2 phone locked and branded.
i want to unlock and unbrand (so i can use another sim and no more o2 on start up).
however does this mean i have to root? I dont really understand why one wants to root, (rooting is different from unbranding right? but once u root u will unbrand, correct?) but can u unbrand without rooting?

also once u unbrand, what happens to the market? read somewhere after unbranding they could not access very much? does it matter which conoutry you are in? i will be using the desire in asia

still cannot understand roms, cusotm roms, htc roms, soo confused

thanks

 

[EddyOS]

o2 UK shouldn't SIM lock their phones, but I could be wrong - try a non-o2 SIM and see what happens...

debranding the phone will just remove the operator-specific modifications - it will still work on the Market if you're just going to a generic HTC ROM. Custom ROMs may differ, though

 

[Boopolo]

i thought o2 didnt lock phones either but this one is........

ok i understand but can you further explain how markets work? depends on countries? networks?

 

[scorpionatthepc]

i thought o2 didnt lock phones either but this one is........

ok i understand but can you further explain how markets work? depends on countries? networks?

Did you get the phone direct from 02? Also 02 lock their pay as you go phones as far as im aware.

 

[Boopolo]

i bought direct from o2, just the phone on its own. all my prevoiius phones from them were unlocked so jsut exopected this ont to be unlocked too.

i want to get it unbranded but i dont know how the market works and will it be affected if i unbrand it?

 

[EddyOS]

Where in the world are you? If you have an o2 UK Desire and debrand to generic then the Market will be the same. I can't comment on other countries, though

 

[Boopolo]

Im in china at the moment and will be here for a while. i will debrand it but doubt i will root as i dont know the adv for rooting and not somehting i will get into i dont think.
i will be using a chinese sim card, will it affect the market?
Also when 2.3 comes out, what happens to the update process?
I know if i was in uk and on o2 i will have to wait for o2 to release 2.3 but what happens if i am in china using a chinese sim?

 

[EddyOS]

It's still governed by the ROM version running on the unit. If you debrand it the Desire will be a WWE Desire regardless of where in the world you are. The only issue is you'll need to make your everyday SD card into a gold card for ALL future updates otherwise things'll go a bit pear shaped

 

[Boopolo]

ok i see but what is WWE...

how is updatte done? what i dont understand is updates are done via the network, is that correct (hence why people were waitibng for o2 to release it)? once i debrand, do i still get my updates via o2? or will it depend on my new chineseccompany sim ?

why will it be pear shaped?

 

[EddyOS]

WWE = World Wide English

Updates are NOT done by the network, the Desire will check the HTC server to see if your ROM version has an update available. If it has, it will try and download it using either the mobile network or WiFi.

If you don't have a gold card then the update will fail as it will see the product code of the Desire originally doesn't match the ROM version on it. Please go read up a bit more as all the answer are in the n00b threads on various forums (here, MoDaCo, XDA, etc...). If I were you I wouldn't even think about trying to debrand until you can grasp the concepts involved and understand what you're doing. Don't mean to sound harsh but you need to know what you're doing and not just jump in feet first, so to speak...

 

[Boopolo]

Thanks Eddy but i really have read loads and i dont seem to completely understand it.
Unless you know of a link that explains it in complete noob then please give me the link as everything i read has gone completely over my head.

but i guess best for me to just unlock so i can use a chinese sim and when 2.3 comes i just wait for o2 to release it right?

oh i also dont like having all this o2 stuff on there especially the start up screen and i read somewhere that non branded phones run faster?

 

[EddyOS]

If 2.3 is the next build number, might be 3.0 or it might be nothing as the Desire might not get it!!!

I'd say debranding IS the best thing to do as you don't have to wait for the operator to get their new version out. They can take months so having a generic WWE handset always makes sense.

I'd go over to XDA and read a lot of the stickied threads on there. Also use the search function. All the answers you need are there somewhere - I've not got the time to sift them out (I am at work after all)

 

[Boopolo]

sorry i dont mean to be a pain, i have read many of these threads and i jsut cant understand it completely, maybe im jsut lame!

 

[croyde]

I'm in the same boat and I even do the odd I.T. job and still cannot fathom all the info about debranding and custom ROMs. Plus there does not seem to be any process that can be done with a Mac.

Good luck.

 

[EddyOS]

The first fw revisions of rooting could be done on a Mac, and unrEVOked (the tool used to root now) can be used on a Mac too. It's just the way of (normally) flashing a Desire RUU that needs Windows. There are ways of doing it without a PC at all but it involves extracting the ROM.zip file from the RUU, but doing this needs Windows as you first need to run the RUU!!!

It's all very complicated BUT I can get the ROM.zip files of ROMs in question if needed...the main thing you need to make sure you have is a working gold card as without it you can only flash ROMs with the matching vendor ID you already have. E.g. If you've got a ROM with x.xx.405.x you can only flash ROMs with x.xx.405.x in them

 

[SUroot]

All updates come from HTC. If you are generic, this is received first. Branded handsets rely on the carrier to give HTC their branded version which is why the delay.

Unbranding makes your phone generic so receives the updates earlier.

However, to unbrand you need to download a generic Rom upgrade utility. It's an .exe you run from pc which upgrades your phones OS. If you are branded you need to make your SD card into a gold card. This will also be true for future updates which are delivered over the air. Because your phone was originally branded, the phone is not supposed to be generic. The hold card fools android into thinking it is generic, ergo updates can be received.

Rooting does not debrand. It gives you super user access to android

 

[bobadopalis]

I'm in the same boat and I even do the odd I.T. job and still cannot fathom all the info about debranding and custom ROMs. Plus there does not seem to be any process that can be done with a Mac.

Good luck.

i rooted my desire on a mac and it was easy, just used a pc guide and winged the rest of it

 

[Boopolo]

All updates come from HTC. If you are generic, this is received first. Branded handsets rely on the carrier to give HTC their branded version which is why the delay.

Unbranding makes your phone generic so receives the updates earlier.

However, to unbrand you need to download a generic Rom upgrade utility. It's an .exe you run from pc which upgrades your phones OS. If you are branded you need to make your SD card into a gold card. This will also be true for future updates which are delivered over the air. Because your phone was originally branded, the phone is not supposed to be generic. The hold card fools android into thinking it is generic, ergo updates can be received.

Rooting does not debrand. It gives you super user access to android

OK ok i think i got you more now. I think i will not root or debrand, i will jsut unlock. that way i can use the chinese sim card.
plus it doesnt take that miuch longer for o2 to recive the update than the generic rom? a few months?

only other thing is if i dont debrand, there is no way in removing the o2 start up screen?

Im loving my phone but this business is really doing my head in.


ps. oh by the way - i can still update via o2 as i will still have a o2 rom whilst i am in china using a chinese sim card right?

 

[EddyOS]

Yes that's right as the SIM card is irrelevent

 

[Boopolo]

right i got it unlocked
however the guy also took away my o2 splash screen and all o2 stuff inside.

is my rom still the same or has he chnaged it? how does one check?

 

[EddyOS]

Settings>About phone>Software information>Software version

Chances are it'll now be x.xx.405.x

 

[Boopolo]

its 2.13.707.1
meaning??

just searched for it and it is the update for the south east asia market.

What does this mean for my rom and aondroid market?

 

[EddyOS]

You get what is available on the Market for that ROM version - the bloke unbranded with the wrong version. He should've used 2.10.405.2 or 2.29.405.2